Groping For God: How the Greeks Anticipated the Coming of Jesus
In John 12:20–21 we read about some Greeks who come to Philip and ask to see Jesus. Rumors and news about Christ have been circulating and these men are longing to make his acquaintance. The text says:
“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’”
While we might think that this is somewhat surprising, Greeks seeking Jesus, after all he is the Jewish Messiah, but the interesting fact is that Pagan Greeks have been searching for Jesus for centuries. It’s true that they didn’t know who they were looking for, but it is undeniable that many were groping in the dark for a savior, for one who would rescue them from this broken world and would defeat death.
Consider for example, one of the plays of Aristophanes called “the Birds”. In that play we start out with two companions Pisthetaerus and Euelpides who are frustrated and tired of life in Athens. They are unsatisfied with the state of the world around them and they long for a new city, one where the citizens are friends and life is enjoyed. They eventually find a bird named Epops who describes to them the way of life among the birds.
Consequently we find out that one major …show more content…
After hearing about all these things Pisthetaerus and Euelpides decided that the best thing to do is to found a new city, a city where there is no need for money and a place where they eat an eternal banquet, where everyone greets each other as friends. It is clear that Aristophanes was longing for the city that Christ would build; a city where we share in the marriage feast of the lamb and where all are not only friends but brothers and sisters; a city where money means nothing because the streets are made of
In John 12:20–21 we read about some Greeks who come to Philip and ask to see Jesus. Rumors and news about Christ have been circulating and these men are longing to make his acquaintance. The text says:
“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’”
While we might think that this is somewhat surprising, Greeks seeking Jesus, after all he is the Jewish Messiah, but the interesting fact is that Pagan Greeks have been searching for Jesus for centuries. It’s true that they didn’t know who they were looking for, but it is undeniable that many were groping in the dark for a savior, for one who would rescue them from this broken world and would defeat death.
Consider for example, one of the plays of Aristophanes called “the Birds”. In that play we start out with two companions Pisthetaerus and Euelpides who are frustrated and tired of life in Athens. They are unsatisfied with the state of the world around them and they long for a new city, one where the citizens are friends and life is enjoyed. They eventually find a bird named Epops who describes to them the way of life among the birds.
Consequently we find out that one major …show more content…
After hearing about all these things Pisthetaerus and Euelpides decided that the best thing to do is to found a new city, a city where there is no need for money and a place where they eat an eternal banquet, where everyone greets each other as friends. It is clear that Aristophanes was longing for the city that Christ would build; a city where we share in the marriage feast of the lamb and where all are not only friends but brothers and sisters; a city where money means nothing because the streets are made of